Digital Downloads

With Shopify's Digital Downloads app, you can upload digital files like videos, songs, and graphic art as products in your store. When a customer purchases a product with a digital file, they receive a link to download the file.

The Digital Downloads app has the following main sections:

  • Products - View, edit, filter, and attach digital files to products.
  • Orders - View all orders containing digital products that have been purchased through your store.
  • Settings - Personalize email templates and checkout options.

Install the Digital Downloads app

  1. From your Shopify admin, click Settings > Apps and sales channels.
  2. From the Apps and sales channels page, click Shopify App Store.
  3. If applicable, then log in to continue to the Shopify App Store.
  4. From the Shopify App Store, search for Digital Downloads to learn more about the sales channel.
  5. Click Add channel or Add app.

  1. Click Install app.

Add a digital product

To add a digital product to your online store, first you need to create a product in the Shopify Admin, and then return to the Digital Downloads app to add digital files to the product's details page.

You can add multiple files per variant. You can also use a .zip file or another archive file format to bundle files together under a single file name.

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, click Products.
  2. Click Add product.
  3. Enter the information for your digital product, such as Title, Description, and Pricing.
  4. In the Shipping section, uncheck the box next to This product requires shipping.
  5. Optional: To make the product temporarily unavailable until you add the digital file, under Product status click the drop-down menu and click Draft.
  6. Click Save.
  7. Under the product title, click More actions.
  8. Click Add digital file. This takes you to the Digital Downloads app page.
  9. Click Add files beside each variant to upload files to any variants that need them.
  10. Select the files you want to add to this product.
  11. Click Publish.
  12. Optional: To change your product back to active, click View in your Shopify Admin, then under Product status click the drop-down menu and click Active, then click Save.

Add digital files to an existing product

As well as creating digital products, you can add a digital download to products that are already in your online store. This includes physical products. For example, if you are selling vinyl records, then you can use the Digital Downloads app to add an MP3 copy of the album that the customer can download.

You can add multiple files per variant. You can also use a .zip file or another archive file format, which can bundle files together under a single file name.

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, click Products.
  2. Click the title of the product you want to add a digital file to.
  3. Under the product title, click More actions.
  4. Click Add digital file. This takes you to the Digital Downloads app page.
  5. Click Add files beside each variant to upload files to any variants that need them.
  6. Select the files you want to add.
  7. Click Publish.

Adjust the fulfillment settings for your digital products

You can review your digital files and adjust your fulfillment settings by clicking a product from the Digital Downloads app dashboard.

You need to have a digital file added to edit the fulfillment settings. If you have multiple variants, then you need to individually select your preferred fulfillment method for each variant.

Digital products have the following fulfillment options:

  • Automatically send files - If you select this option, then after a successful payment, customers are automatically emailed a download link and the order is marked as fulfilled. Use this option for entirely digital products, such as an MP3 or a PDF.
  • Manually send files - If you select this option, then you need to manually mark the order as fulfilled before a download link is emailed to the customer. Use this option when the product is a mix of a digital and physical products, such as a vinyl record with an MP3 download.

Steps:

  1. From the Digital Downloads app, click the product with the digital file that you want to edit.
  2. Beside the variant that you want to edit, click Fulfillment.
  3. Under the FULFILLMENT TYPE section, click the fulfillment option that you want.
  4. Click Apply.
  5. Click Save.

If you have a product with a physical and digital component, and you have automatic fulfillment set up for the digital file, then the digital file is automatically sent and marked as fulfilled within the Digital Downloads app. The fulfillment of your product's physical component depends on your physical fulfillment settings.

If you want to use Manual fulfillment, then you can send the customer a manual download link by email.

Steps:

  1. From the Digital Downloads app, click the name of the digital product that you'd like to create a download link for.
  2. Click More actions > Create download link.
  3. Optional: Select a variant to create the download link for and click Create.
  4. When the URL is created, click Copy link beside the URL.

You can send the copied link to a customer by email. This link lets the customer securely download the digital file.

Set a download limit

You can review your digital files and set a download limit on the Product Page within the Digital Downloads App. A download limit controls the number of times that a customer can download a digital product. By default, all variants are set to unlimited.

Steps:

  1. From the Digital Downloads app, click the digital product that you want to set a download limit for.
  2. Click Fulfillment next to the variant that you want to edit.
  3. Under the DOWNLOAD LIMIT section, deselect Unlimited downloads and enter the maximum number of times that your customer can download this file. For example, if you enter 2, then the customer can download the file twice.
  4. Click Apply.
  5. Click Save.

Filter your digital products

You can filter your products by whether or not they have a digital file added.

  1. From the Digital Download app's Products page, click Filter digital files.
  2. Take one of the following actions:
    • Click Has digital file to display only products with digital files.
    • Click No digital file to display only products without digital files.
    • Click Show all to display a list of all your products.

Modify Digital Downloads orders

The Orders section provides you with an overview of all orders containing digital downloads that have been purchased through your store. This section displays:

  • order number
  • date and time
  • customer's name
  • customer's email
  • fulfillment status
  • number of downloads per order

Similar to the Orders page in the admin, you can click each entry to view that order's details.

Each order includes:

  • customer name
  • customer email
  • option to update the customer email address
  • option to resend the fulfillment email
  • option to view the download link

The Orders section also displays any time a download was completed, the customer's IP, as well as which browser and operating system were used to download the digital item.

  1. From your Shopify admin, click Settings > Apps and sales channels.

  2. From the Apps and sales channels page, click Digital Downloads.

  3. Click Open app.

  4. Click Orders.

  5. Click the order number of the order you'd like to reissue a download link for.

  6. Click Resend download email.

Cancel a download

You can deactivate a customer's download link to prevent them from being able to download the product.

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, click Settings > Apps and sales channels.

  2. From the Apps and sales channels page, click Digital Downloads.

  3. Click Open app.

  4. Click Orders.

  5. Click the number of the order that you'd like to cancel the download for.

  6. Under the Product details heading, click Deactivate.

If you want to reactivate a customer's ability to download a digital product, then return to the order page in the Digital Downloads app and click Activate under the Product details heading.

Export a CSV file of orders

The CSV file export option, which is at the bottom of the Orders page, generates a spreadsheet file of all digital orders that have been processed by the app. This means that even when the customer has not yet downloaded the product, there is still a record of the customer's order in this report.

The report includes:

  • order date and time
  • number of downloads
  • customer's email address
  • customer's first name
  • checkout ID associated with the order
  • customer's last name
  • total number of line items in the order
  • order total (including shipping and tax)
  • SKUs included in the order
  • order number (listed as title)
  • date of last update

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, click Settings > Apps and sales channels.

  2. From the Apps and sales channels page, click Digital Downloads.

  3. Click Open app.

  4. Click Orders.

  5. Click Export all orders.

Edit email templates

The Settings section provides you with ways to personalize the emails that you send to customers. There are two email templates associated with digital products:

  • Downloads ready. Customers receive this email when their digital product is ready to download.
  • Digital file update. Customers receive this email when a digital product they've purchased has been updated.

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, click Settings > Apps and sales channels.

  2. From the Apps and sales channels page, click Digital Downloads.

  3. Click Open app.

  4. Click Settings.

  5. Next to the name of the email template you want to edit, click Edit template.

  6. Make the desired changes.

  7. Click Save.

You can set whether customers can download the digital product directly on the checkout page.

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, click Settings > Apps and sales channels.

  2. From the Apps and sales channels page, click Digital Downloads.

  3. Click Open app.

  4. Click Settings.

  5. In the Checkout section, take either of the following actions:

    • Click Activate. A Download now link will display on the order confirmation page. The customer also receives an email with the ability to download the file.
    • Click Deactivate. A Download now link won't display on the order confirmation page. Instead, the customer only receives an email with the ability to download the file.

Delete a digital file

You can delete digital files from within the Digital Downloads app.

Steps:

  1. From the Digital Downloads app, click a product that has the file that you want to delete.
  2. Click the icon.
  3. Click Delete.
  4. Optional: If your product is already published, then make sure that you want to delete the file, and then click Delete.
  5. Click Save.
  6. Choose whether or not to send an email to existing customers with the updated link.

Replace a digital file

You might want to replace a digital file either before or after you have published it and sold it to customers. For example, if you're selling a .PDF file for a knitting pattern and then you notice an error in the pattern, then you might want to upload a new .PDF file.

Steps:

  1. From the Digital Downloads app, click a product that has the file that you want to replace.
  2. Click Add files to upload a new file.
  3. Next to the old file, click the icon.
  4. Click Delete.
  5. Click Save.
  6. Choose whether or not to send an email to existing customers with the updated link.

FAQ about Digital Downloads

What is the maximum file size I can upload?

The maximum file size is 5 GB. Uploading large files can seem to take a long time because many internet service providers give priority to downloads.

Can I upload multiple files to the same product?

Yes, you can upload multiple files per product. You can also use a .zip file or another type of archive file that can contain files within it. You can't upload file folders.

Can I limit the number of times a customer can download a product?

Yes, you can limit the number of times each customer can download a product. This is set in the product's fulfillment settings in the app. To remove a download limit, check the Unlimited downloads checkbox. Refer to Set a download limit.

How do I remove a digital product?

If you delete your digital product from your products in your admin, then it will also remove the product from the Digital Downloads app.

Is there a bandwidth limit for a download?

No. The bandwidth statistic in the app's main menu is for your information only.

Ready to start selling with Shopify?Try it free